Pochettino was among the shocked staff who rushed to the Academy pitches, where Ehiogu had been coaching, to check on the condition of the 44-year-old after an ambulance and paramedics were called shortly before noon.

Witnesses said that Pochettino and his assistant Jesus Perez were clearly upset as they left the scene, with staff at the training ground also saddened by what happened.

Pochettino later held his weekly press conference while Tottenham informed Ehiogu’s family of what happened. In a statement confirming Ehiogu’s death, Tottenham said: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Ugo Ehiogu, our Under-23 coach.

“Ugo received immediate treatment after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Training Centre yesterday before being transferred to hospital, where he passed away in the early hours of the morning.”

Head of coaching and player development John McDermott said: “Words cannot express the shock and sadness that we all feel at the club. Ugo’s immense presence will be irreplaceable. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his wife Gemma and his family.”

He won four England caps and retired in 2009. Ehiogu moved into coaching and started working part-time with the Tottenham youth teams before he was appointed coach of the Under-21 team in 2014. He then moved on to take change of the U23 development side.